JC
We don’t often talk about post-metal at Sound of Pen. But if you want music that takes you on a journey – in the same way that a novel might – then you should definitely be listening to the songs of Dimscua!
I felt unsure whether I should build a class around Dimscua’s music. Given that the brilliant Berkshire band are writing some of the most impactful songs you’ll listen to in 2025, It seemed obvious that I should. But there’s a sadness to the music that made me pause before using it as fuel for our learning.
Devastatingly, one of the band’s songwriters, Adam Campbell-Train, lost his daughter during the writing of the remarkable ‘Dust Eater’ record. As a result, I felt nervous about digging into the lyrics. But I hope the decision to go ahead doesn’t seem insensitive.
It’s crucial we understand that all great art is built out of real experience and deep feeling. Because they were written so long ago, it can be easy for us to skim over the fact that some of the texts we study were inspired by deep trauma and irresolvable grief. It’s important that we don’t skim past that fact!
When a writer’s intense upset is as present as it is in Dimscua’s record, it’s impossible for us to avoid the reality that we are experiencing the work of real people with real lives. And so we take more care with our enquiries and with the essays we write – because we understand that our source material so absolutely deserves to be handled with utmost care.
In class, when we discuss ‘On Being and Nothingness’, we will do so with respect and sensitivity. The questions, outlined in the kind of exam-style as they are below, can appear pragmatic and devoid of emotion. But our response to them will be anything but.
ACTIVITY 1
Listen to ‘On Being and Nothingness’ and read the lyrics. Pick out the 5 images that you think convey the clearest sense of the loss – and the resulting emotions – being conveyed.
Dimscua, ‘On Being and Nothingness’
The halls are cold and silent
And the light won’t reach my eyes
These moments pass like arrows
And leave scars upon my soul
I can’t be with you
Though silence calls to me
I was meant to stay
But my heart is with you there
All these thoughts remain with you
Until my last breath
I’ll remove my heart
Until I can see you again
I open my wounds and try to heal
I’ll wear these scars until I can see you again
Until I can see you again
Too fragile to hold
A missing piece of me
But when I close my eyes
You’re in my arms again
Don’t let me wake
Alone again
I’ll keep
You with me
‘till my end
My eyes are blurred
My eyes are blurred
My senses numb
World forgotten
I lie awake
I can’t be
Though silence calls
I was meant to stay
Though my heart is with you there
These thoughts remain
Until my last
I’ll remove my heart
Until I can see you again
As I close my eyes
You’re in my arms
Don’t let me wake
Alone again
ACTIVITY 2
Explain, with reference to writing techniques, how each of your chosen words/phrases creates the sense of loss and feeling that it does.
ACTIVITY 3
Why is the song so long? Why did Dimscua not – for example – write a short, snappy pop song instead? What do you notice about the music throughout the songs (in terms of shifts and styles) and how does the style/volume/pace etc. fit with the feelings being explored?
ACTIVITY 4
Pick out 3 quotes that teach us something about loss in each text you’re studying. It might be the loss of a loved one, the loss of love itself, the loss of pride, the loss of ANYTHING. Explain, with reference to writing techniques, how each of your chosen words/phrases creates a sense of that loss and the resulting emotions.
ACTIVITY 5
Consider again the texts you’ve referenced in your answer to activity 4. Are they poems? Plays? Novels? Why did the writer choose the form they did? Consider your response to activity 2 (why did Dimscua choose to write a song? Why is it so long? Why does it change in volume and style throughout?) and then build your thoughts from there.
You might want to continue your study of loss with Taylor Swift.